📖 Meaning
A single word seals the deal, never to be altered. It describes a firm promise made with absolute commitment, where one's word is as binding as a contract.
📜 Origin Story
From Ji Junxiang's Yuan dynasty play "The Orphan of Zhao" (《赵氏孤儿》), Act 2, where the character Cheng Ying declares, "I have settled it with one word; you need not doubt me further." The idiom later appears in Cao Xueqin's Qing dynasty classic "Dream of the Red Chamber" (《红楼梦》), Chapter 66, where a character uses it to hold someone to a serious promise. It embodies the traditional Chinese value of keeping one's word as an unbreakable bond.
💡 Example Usage
好，一言为定，明天早上八点见。
Alright, it's a deal — see you tomorrow morning at eight.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一言为定
- Pinyin: yī yán wéi dìng
- Literal Translation: one, word, as, settled
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4